News Briefs

Persian Gulf is Growing Drug Hub For LatAm Groups

The Gulf States are an increasingly important operation base and drug transshipment point for Latin American groups, according to a prominent security analyst, using the region to coordinate transport to Europe and Asia while attempting to stoke local demand.

Speaking at a security summit in Qatar's capital Doha, drug trafficking expert Johan Obdola said drug cartels were attracted to the region for its wealth, reported The Peninsular. A Mexican cell was operating out of Dubai, he said, and Qatar was being used as a transit point for export to other Gulf States.

There is some evidence to support this assertion. In two weeks last September, there were six cases of attempted drug smuggling from an airport near Buenos Aires to the Qatar capital Doha on Qatar Airlines, reported La Nacion. A security source told the Argentine paper the "new route" had "exploded."

InSight Crime Analysis

This is not the first time Qatar has been mentioned as an emerging transshipment point for Latin American drugs. La Nacion newspaper reported in 2011 a link between Argentina and the emirate. According to that report, a kilo of cocaine can be sold for up to $90,000 in the region -- three times its value in the United States -- a highly lucrative trade if criminal groups are successful in increasing local demand.

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